The present invention relates to a harness for holding and supporting at least one pressurized gas-container. The harness includes a backplate, container-holding means mounted on a first side of the backplate, two elongated support means arranged on respective sides of a symmetry line that divides the backplate into a left and a right part, wherein a first end of the support means is fastened to the upper part of the backplate and the opposite, second end of the support means is fastened to the lower part of the backplate, the harness further comprising a waist belt which is fastened to the lower part of the backplate.
A carrier harness of this kind is intended particularly for firemen, although it can also be used by underwater divers.
Harnesses of this kind will normally include a stiff or rigid backplate that is provided on its lower end (when fitted upright on a person) with a holder for holding at least one gas container that contains pressurized breathing gas. As shown in FIG. 5, the harness will normally include a strap so that functions to hold the gas container, i.e. typically a gas bottle or gas cylinder, tightly against the backplate and that embraces the gas container on a level with the upper part of the backplate, or some other means that functions to hold the gas bottle against the backplate.
A harness for retaining and/or transporting various articles is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4 676 418. This harness comprises:
a framework or back plate on which a storage portion is mounted, shoulder straps for looping around the shoulders of the wearer and connected to the back plate, a waist plate mounted on the back plate for pivotal movement in a plane generally parallel to the wearer's back so as to be pivotably laterally with respect to the wearer, and a waist belt, secured to the waist plate, for fastening around the waist of the wearer to hold the waist plate in position. Further means for restricting the pivotal movement of the waist plate are described. PA1 a framework or back plate on which a storage portion is mounted, a shoulder plate mounted on the back plate for pivotal movement in a plane generally parallel to the wearer's back so as to be pivotably laterally with respect to the wearer, shoulder straps mounted on the ends of the shoulder plate for looping around the shoulders of the wearer and connected to the back plate.
Further, from Norwegian patent specification No. 57 445 another harness is known. This harness comprises:
One object of the present invention is to provide a harness that is more flexible and that will be felt to be more comfortable by the user than hitherto known harnesses.
Another object of the invention is to provide a harness that will adapt to user body movements more readily and effectively than known harnesses of this kind.
The present invention thus relates to a harness for supporting a breathing gas pressure-container and comprising a backplate, means provided on a first side of the backplate for holding and supporting at least one, although often two, gas-filled pressure containers, two upper support straps on the second side of the backplate, wherein first ends of said straps are fastened to the upper part of the backplate in spaced relationship with one another, two lower support straps, wherein first ends of said straps are fastened to the lower part of the backplate in spaced relationship with one another, means for pair-wise connecting an upper and a lower support strap, and a waist belt which is fastened to the lower part of the backplate. The inventive harness is mainly characterized in that it includes on the lower part of the second side of the backplate an at least substantially rigid first element that extends parallel with the backplate and that is pivotably mounted on the backplate at a first pivot point, wherein each of the second ends of the elongated support means is fastened to the first element on a respective side of the pivot point.
It is particularly preferred that the first pivot point lies on the symmetry line. The first element will advantageously have the form of an elongated plate-like element whose end parts can be swung about a respective pivot line symmetrically with respect to the pivot point and parallel with and at a distance from the symmetry line, i.e. those parts of the element that lie outside the pivot line, i.e. at a greater distance from the symmetry line, can be pivoted forwardly of the backplate, wherein the elongated support means are attached to the element parts that can swing relative to the backplate.
According to another preferred embodiment, the waist belt is pivotably mounted on the second side of the backplate on a second pivot point.
According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the waist belt includes an at least substantially rigid second element that extends parallel to the backplate, and two flexible strap parts whose respective ends are connected to the second element, wherein the second element is pivotably mounted on the backplate on the second pivot point.
According to yet another preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a harness for carrying a pressurized breathing gas container, wherein the harness includes a backplate, means on a first side of the backplate for holding and supporting at least one, but often two gas-filled pressure containers, and two upper support straps on the other side of the backplate, wherein first ends of the support straps are fastened to the upper part of the backplate in mutually spaced relationship, two lower support straps, wherein first ends of the straps are fastened to the lower part of the backplate in mutually spaced relationship, means for mutually connecting an upper and a lower strap, and a waist belt that is fastened to the lower part of the backplate. The invention is mainly characterized in that the harness includes on the second side of the backplate, a third element which is at least substantially rigid and parallel with the backplate, wherein the third element is pivotably mounted on the backplate on a third pivot point on the symmetry line, and wherein each of the first ends of the elongated support means is fastened to the third element on a respective side of the pivot point.